• January Turning Challenge: Thin-Stemmed Something! (click here for details)
  • Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Scott Gordon for "Orb Ligneus" being selected as Turning of the Week for January 20, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Quick Core

Pete Blair said:
Looks pretty scary to me! Watching the video it appears it nearly lifts him off the floor a couple of times. Gotta be pretty stressful on arms, arm pit and shoulder. I think I'll just stick to my Oneway . . . .
Click to expand...

I agree......that looks very dangerous to me.

Here's a link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABRCDua4NF8

It's a straight plunge cut, and seems like it would be very limiting in final design of the bowl........kind of like a funnel shape.

I do not have a coring device, but I may get one eventually for limited application. The reason I've never had a strong desire to have one, is it just seems so limiting for creative design.......you get the shape you get, and that's the only parameters you allow yourself to work with.

The other coring devices on the market appear to allow more final creativity, in that the cored bowl has a curved outer wall. This, it seems, does lead to a more possibilities........pure theoretical thinking on my part, since I don't have a coring tool.

This would make a good thread for discussion of coring tools by those who own them........I know I'd be interested in hearing some "hands on" pros and cons of the various coring tools available to the turner.

Gretch, if I remember correctly, I think you have a coring tool.......tell us what you think.......or, anyone else who has a mind to contribute.

Pete......tell us your thoughts on the Oneway, please.......
ooc
 
I do have all the coring systems, but won't be tempted by this one. Cone shape does not appeal to me, and If I want a long parting tool, the straight blades on the McNaughton will do that fine, and it comes with support fingers and a over the top gate to help stop catches.

robo hippy
 
The first coring I saw was done by Liam O'neil using the Stewart slicer around 1995.
These were conical cores.
The Stewart hollowing tools came with an armbrace handle, a bent tool and two straight tools.
one straight tool, the "slicer" was a beefy parting tool. Similar to straight tool,in the mcNaughton mentioned above.

The straight coring has its uses.
Al
 
Last edited:
I toyed with the idea of getting a coring system yesterday, but have mixed feelings as to whether one of these systems are worth it for my turning style. For me the one and only advantage would be to get an extra bowl blank out of a very special piece of wood. Nested, and natural edge bowls have little appeal to me, but the occasional spectacular piece of wood is a consideration.

Since all the coring systems tend to limit you on what you can do with the final shape, I'm not so sure a coring system is as beneficial as one would think......or, at least for me, it might not be. The theory is great, but practical application may not pan out to what the theory promises.......😕

At the very minimum, it seems like the depth of the parent bowl would have to be 3", or more. The usable diameter would be dependent on the thickness.......smaller diameter might be very usable, if it's very thick. I normally am not interested in making any bowls that are less than 6" diameter, but make exceptions for very special pieces of wood.....

As I've said previously, I don't have a coring system, so my comments are not from experience. From contemplating the concepts available yesterday, it seems to me that the Kelton McNaughton system would be the most versatile. My thinking on this is because the Oneway and Woodcut pivot on a point, whereas the KM tools are guided into the cut along pins. To me, the KM seems to be the more versatile of the two, because it would give the turner more options.

It also would seem that the tool pivoting on a more solid point, like the Oneway and Woodcut, have an advantage of better overall stability.

Thoughts?

ooc
 
Last edited:
To core, or not to core......... Well, I do core. Funny thing about nested sets, unless they are the Mike Mahoney natural edge sets which are for art collectors, they seldom sell as a set. Some one always wants the middle bowl. or the little bowl, or the big one. Never all 3 or 4 of them. For standard bowl turning, and especially if you sell your work, you need a coring system. It is a tool that very quickly pays for itself. For being practical, I almost never core anything less than 3 inches thick and 10 to 12 inch diameter, unless I want to part off shallow bowl blanks or it is a really nice piece of wood. Just not worth the work. When selling, dollar wise, I probably sell the same amount of personal sized bowls as I do family sized bowls, and all the other sized in between. With a 12 inch by 6 inch deep blank, I figure 3 total bowls. I can get 4, but then I end up with a bunch of 3 to 4 inch very shallow bowls, and they are not cost effective to sand finish and then try to get your money back out of them for the time you spend. The big bowl sells well, and the other 2 which will also sell well will very shortly pay for the coring system. A couple of cored sets, and you made your money back and then some. There is some time savings as well. Mostly it is when you turn the core, the shaping is done, and you just need finish cuts. Maybe that applies more to my style of turning green to final thickness, letting them dry and warp, then sanding and finishing. Even with twice turned bowls, you just core, then seal and let them dry.

For me, the McNaughton is by far the fastest to set up and core with of the big 3 (Oneway, and Wood Cut are the others), and it is by far more diverse in what you can do with it. Every one that has tried to use it has sworn at it (maybe not out loud, but....), and those of us who have figured it out swear by it. It does have a learning curve. The standard set of blades will core 95% of all the bowl blanks most of us will ever do.

robo hippy
 
Hello Robo Hippy......

Question for you........

Since you have all three sets of coring systems, in what order did you purchase them, and what did the previous acquisition lack that prompted you to make an additional purchase?



ooc
 
Coring Systems

I too have had three coring systems

The Oneway, the McNaughton and the Stewart Slicer.

I still have and use the Slicer and McNaughton.

The slicer is easier to use than what may be inferred by JoHannes' video. I use it mainly to take out a core that I may want to save or for smaller cores in the little nested sets I turn. It's quick and easier to take out a cone shaped core rather than to turn it out.

I use McNaughton for large cores and for nested sets.

I did use the Oneway system for a while but when I sold the 1640 I sold the coring system too. It always seemed a little more time consuming to set up.

I had the McNaughton b4 Oneway so I stuck with it. Can't teach an old dog, I guess

A
 
Oneway Coring System

I have not tried any of the other systems so it would serve no purpose for me to comment on them. I don't agree that the Oneway is hard or time consuming to set up. I did purchase the complete set of cutters with a few extra cutters. I generally don't bother to core unless the piece is really special or quite large, usually 10" and up. Of course green are easiest to cut. I usually don't try any nested items but find it terrific to make one large 'salad' bowl and utilize the 'core' for a hollow form.
The Video's that are available on the Oneway Web site are really good and were most helpful when I started. I have cored only about 30 blanks and have never had a problem with a catch. Minimal learning curve, and because of this a great tool for an occasional user.
 
Well, for sure I bought the McNaughton first. It was the first curved blade coring system made. The slicer may have been out, I remember seeing videos from an AAW Symposium where turners were using a straight coring tool, and then using a crow bar to pry the core loose. Scary. The Oneway was not in existence yet, and I don't know if Woodcut was or not. I purchased the other two out of curiosity, just to see how they worked. I was just getting into demonstrations, and comparing the 3 systems was one demo I could do that no one else did. I actually did 2 rotations when the Symposium was in Portland a few years back. The McNaughton is the most efficient. Biggest time consumers with the Oneway, the tool rest is a metal plate that uses a bolt/nut/wrench that you have to use for attaching it to your lathe bed. The McNaughton fits in the banjo. With the Oneway, you also have to stop the lathe for each 2 or so inches of depth that you core, so you can adjust and advance the support finger. On a big bowl, this can be 4 or more times. To sharpen the Oneway, you have to remove/unscrew the tip from the blade, mount it in a jig, and then hold that to your grinder. Only advantages over the McNaughton, it is almost idiot proof with the pivoting center, and it is rock solid all the way out to the end of the largest core you will take. I actually had Oneway send me one of their tips without the point/chip breaker tip on it. I ground it square and tapered it a bit towards the back so it wouldn't bind. I think it cut a lot better than the tip they have. They used to make them like that at first, but found it was a bit grabby for the general public. To me, it just cut a lot better and you didn't have to remove the tip to sharpen it.

The Woodcut is too small for my taste, but excellent for 12 and smaller lathes. It does chatter a bit, especially with the large blade, and harder woods like locust.

robo hippy
 
odie said:
I toyed with the idea of getting a coring system yesterday, but have mixed feelings as to whether one of these systems are worth it for my turning style. For me the one and only advantage would be to get an extra bowl blank out of a very special piece of wood. Nested, and natural edge bowls have little appeal to me, but the occasional spectacular piece of wood is a consideration.

Since all the coring systems tend to limit you on what you can do with the final shape, I'm not so sure a coring system is as beneficial as one would think......or, at least for me, it might not be. The theory is great, but practical application may not pan out to what the theory promises.......😕
Thoughts?

ooc
Click to expand...

Odie,
I have the mcNaughton medium set I bought first then the larger blades.
I don't do many bowls these days. But I used the coring for special pieces of wood and for bowls over 14"
At the time I bought it, the first 12" core paid for it so it was an easy decision.

On the down side I would miss the mindless pleasure of hollowing a bowl.
On the plus side I would get three bowls from a 16" blank. I am cautious so a 16, 13, and a 10.
Three bowls versus one from a nice piece of wood is sort of a no brainier for me.

There is a little learning curve with the mcNaughton. I wiggle the handle as I feed it which sort of widens the kerf.
Sometimes I just have to back out and cut wider kerf as I miss the arc.
I found just putting the blades along the outside curve would show me which to use.

Have fun.
 
Last edited:
Per the hollower the OP was asking about... WOW, ah no I wouldn't

Personally I own the McNaughton, on the advise of Robo, Dave Schweitzer and a few others.

I am certainly no pro, but, with the stop-collar I have on the gate, I can rig, touch up the tip, and core a 12-14 inch bowl, faster then I can turn the center into chips.

Then I have the choice of turning it, giving it to the DW to turn, or tossing it in the burn-bucket to warm the house.
 
Pete,
An old engineer's quote, "you can never make anything idiot proof, brecause as soon as you do, some one else invents a better idiot". I had a friend who made a big bowl with an ogee curve on the outside of the bowl. Well, he didn't account for the concave part of the ogee, and cut it off when he cored. I don't think he did that one again. Never could convince him that the McNaughton was the better tool though.

There was a review of the 3 coring systems in the last AAW mag.

robo hippy
 
hockenbery said:
Odie,
I have the mcNaughton medium set I bought first then the larger blades.
I don't do many bowls these days. But I used the coring for special pieces of wood and for bowls over 14"
At the time I bought it, the first 12" core paid for it so it was an easy decision.

On the down side I would miss the mindless pleasure of hollowing a bowl.
On the plus side I would get three bowls from a 16" blank. I am cautious so a 16, 13, and a 10.
Three bowls versus one from a nice piece of wood is sort of a no brainier for me.

There is a little learning curve with the mcNaughton. I wiggle the handle as I feed it which sort of widens the kerf.
Sometimes I just have to back out and cut wider kerf as I miss the arc.
I found just putting the blades along the outside curve would show me which to use.

Have fun.
Click to expand...

Al........

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/7/-/33/134/0/2420/


What you're calling the "medium" set is probably one in the same as what's now being called the "standard" set. This seems to be the most useful set, and the most useful of the coring systems currently available.

I haven't made any decision to purchase, but I know there is an occasional bowl where I do wish I could save a core......usually an exceptionally beautiful or interesting piece of wood.

A good 99 percent of my bowls, it wouldn't make much difference if I had a core, or not.......but, if I did have the KM coring tool, there would certainly be a few where I would use it where I wouldn't otherwise have cared that much.

It's understood what you mean about the "mindless pleasure" of hollowing a bowl......same thing when removing the excess from the exterior, as well! It's this repeated and boring use of the gouge that leads one to discoveries! 😀 Since it's got to be done, I figure I might as well do some experimenting......and, some of this "mindless pleasure" has paid off in big dividends! :cool2: If I had the KM coring tool, it wouldn't change much.......would do most everything as before, except for that rare, beautiful, and interesting piece of wood that would be a shame to waste any of it.

I probably will get the KM coring tool eventually. 370 bucks isn't an easy swallow at this particular time! 😱

ooc
 
Last edited:
Pete Blair said:
Looks pretty scary to me! Watching the video it appears it nearly lifts him off the floor a couple of times. Gotta be pretty stressful on arms, arm pit and shoulder. I think I'll just stick to my Oneway . . . .
Click to expand...

Pete, I think that you may be misinterpreting what you saw on the video. I have watched Johannes do this in person several times using both his previous tool and the new tool. Johannes is not having any difficulty controlling the tool and he is not exerting a lot of force either. He is maintaining a steady stance so that he is not off balance. The up and down movement that you see is NOT the tool lifting him up, but rather him doing the movement to open up the clearance a bit. He is a finesse turner so you won't find him forcing a cut as you are interpreting the video.

odie said:
I agree......that looks very dangerous to me. ....

It's a straight plunge cut, and seems like it would be very limiting in final design of the bowl........kind of like a funnel shape.
Click to expand...

I suppose the safety part depends on your skill as it is with most things in turning. Johannes made it look effortless while I watched and we talked about it. I have several of his other tools, but not this one .... yet. 😉

odie said:
I do not have a coring device, but I may get one eventually for limited application. The reason I've never had a strong desire to have one, is it just seems so limiting for creative design.......you get the shape you get, and that's the only parameters you allow you.
Click to expand...

That is basically my thought. However, you can gain some flexibility in design by making the walls thicker and settling for fewer cores.

odie said:
The other coring devices on the market appear to allow more final creativity, in that the cored bowl has a curved outer wall.....
Click to expand...

I feel just the opposite on that thought. I always thought that the Oneway and McNaughton jigs restricted creativity, especially on the smaller cores. With the Hannes tool, all of the cores have exactly the same sidewall angle so each bowl could have the same exterior shape if desired. Most of my bowls tend to have either a hyperbola or parabola shape so the cone shape provides a nice starting point.
 
odie said:
Al........
...

I probably will get the KM coring tool eventually. 370 bucks isn't an easy swallow at this particular time! 😱

ooc
Click to expand...

I really advise reading the review in the current journal, and downloading the PDF -before- buying.

If I had know how many of the tools actually cut the same radius, I might have bought a different mix of cutters.
Example, the small, med and large (radius) cutters in the mini and standard set actually have the same curves (although different lengths). The large curve of the jumbo set also has the same radius as the large cutters in the other sets.
Today I might buy... All three Jumbo cutters, the medium and small cutters in the standard set (which would give you 11, 7, 5 and 3 in radius curves).
The small cutter in the micro set has a tighter radius then the "small" of the other sets.
There are down-sides to only having the larger cutters, they take a wider kerf then the smaller cutters.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Pete, I think that you may be misinterpreting what you saw on the video. I have watched Johannes do this in person several times using both his previous tool and the new tool. Johannes is not having any difficulty controlling the tool and he is not exerting a lot of force either. He is maintaining a steady stance so that he is not off balance. The up and down movement that you see is NOT the tool lifting him up, but rather him doing the movement to open up the clearance a bit. He is a finesse turner so you won't find him forcing a cut as you are interpreting the video.

I suppose the safety part depends on your skill as it is with most things in turning. Johannes made it look effortless while I watched and we talked about it. I have several of his other tools, but not this one .... yet. 😉

....

I feel just the opposite on that thought. I always thought that the Oneway and McNaughton jigs restricted creativity, especially on the smaller cores. With the Hannes tool, all of the cores have exactly the same sidewall angle so each bowl could have the same exterior shape if desired. Most of my bowls tend to have either a hyperbola or parabola shape so the cone shape provides a nice starting point.
Click to expand...

Bill I think the point is that with Johanne's Quick Core, since the turner is providing the vertical control, the turner is also opening themselves up to the loose of control and the resulting bad things.
While, with the McNaughton, held properly in the gate, there is no possibility of a loose of control.

Don't forget that McNaughton has straight cutter also, and able to make the same cut as the Quick Core.

One thing I sometimes do with the straight cutter is "parting off" platter blanks. I take a billet, turn the bottom of a platter, then part the platter off the blank. Remount the platter and finish the top.
 
n7bsn said:
I really advise reading the review in the current journal, and downloading the PDF -before- buying.

If I had know how many of the tools actually cut the same radius, I might have bought a different mix of cutters.
Example, the small, med and large (radius) cutters in the mini and standard set actually have the same curves (although different lengths). The large curve of the jumbo set also has the same radius as the large cutters in the other sets.
Today I might buy... All three Jumbo cutters, the medium and small cutters in the standard set (which would give you 11, 7, 5 and 3 in radius curves).
The small cutter in the micro set has a tighter radius then the "small" of the other sets.
There are down-sides to only having the larger cutters, they take a wider kerf then the smaller cutters.
Click to expand...

Thanks n7bsn.......(you a ham radio operator?)

I'll have to take a look at the article in the current journal......but, it's at work right now.

Appreciate your input.

ooc
 
n7bsn said:
Bill I think the point is that with Johanne's Quick Core, since the turner is providing the vertical control, the turner is also opening themselves up to the loose of control and the resulting bad things.
Click to expand...

I agree that it is not the tool for a beginner and maybe not for an intermediate level turner either.

I turn several bowls per year, but that is not really my interest. The ones that I turn are when someone requests one or my wife wants me to make some for gifts or for empty bowls. Otherwise, I am always searching for something different to turn.
 
Comment on coring systems

For what it's worth, I too have multiple coring systems. My main purpose in using them is to reduce the amount of waste chips, and consequently more efficient use of the wood blank.
I really like the Oneway system, and have used all the knife sets, but find myself using the two smaller sets most often. I have found that coring out the extremely large blanks not terribly efficient of my time. The most popular selling sizes seem to be around 15 in dia down to about 8 inch dia.
Anyway, the different systems all work well if one takes enough time to master the different setups, and of course, keeping the cutters "keen" sharp is paramount to success.
 
I just wonder how many times he throwed his work out of the chuck onto the floor until he mastered the operation.
Seems to me if you get a catch your work is a goner. Can't say i haven't done this with my KM set up. Some times still a learning curve.😕
 
Bill Weaver said:
I just wonder how many times he throwed his work out of the chuck onto the floor until he mastered the operation.
Seems to me if you get a catch your work is a goner. Can't say i haven't done this with my KM set up. Some times still a learning curve.😕
Click to expand...


I would take zero if you are starting a pool.
Johannes, might be the second best pure turner I have seen. He is smooth. I suspect his last catch was way in the last century.

Al
 
hockenbery said:
I would take zero if you are starting a pool.
Johannes, might be the second best pure turner I have seen. He is smooth. I suspect his last catch was way in the last century.

Al
Click to expand...

It was more recent than that, and I have pictures to prove it 🙄

Although, I suppose one could debate if it was truly a catch...?
 
I purchased the McNaughton system a few years back. I just couldn't stand seeing all those shavings on the floor after turning a 15inch cherry bowl. There is definitely a learning curve, but very rewarding once things begin to click.

I found a new video on utube a few months back that goes into some pretty good detail on how to best use this system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS2yIb0HAU4&list=PL69E3802067690586&index=12

dick
 
coring

[QUOTE=odie;90081
Gretch, if I remember correctly, I think you have a coring tool.......tell us what you think.......or, anyone else who has a mind to contribute.

Have been away at a convention for a week-so am tardy!!!. No -no coring. I have the Jamieson hollowing system for ?4 years and have yet to use it. Hollowing just doesn't "turn" me on!!! Gretch
 
I have one...

One of the originals, when Hannes affectionately called it 'the Cone Bone'. It is a tool that I don't use often, but when I do, it's the only tool that could do the job.

I've used it as a parting tool when needing to part larger diameter, but already rounded blanks on the lathe (too large to bandsaw in half). I've also used it to take 'cone' shaped cores out of both end grain orientation and side grain orientation blanks.

The tool is used with the 'gun stock' handle tucked under your arm. In a sense, that is the 'gate' that keeps the tool from jumping up and down. You control it using your body. So when an earlier commenter described Hannes' use of the tool in a video as 'getting lifted off his feet (and I may have the exact wording wrong, but I think that was the idea), it was really Hannes maintaining the tip of that tool at the proper cutting angle, by using his body to control it. It, like many of the specialty turning tools we use, has a learning curve. You don't pick this tool up and just stab it into the wood, unless you're looking to get hurt.
 
When I first started coring it was using the Stewart slicer and McNaughton straight blades. I used both off the tool rest for conical cores. If it were a larger bowl I started with the McNaughton and finished the last few inches with the Stewart. I do not recommend using the McNaughton without the gate but I was taught that way for speed. I bring this up only because I keep hearing there is a learning curve to these types of tools. That is totally correct but the problem lies with that learning curve. If you are not careful while your learning these tools you can get hurt so please be careful. It is best to seek someone out who has mastered the tool and learn from them rather than learn on your own.

Donna said something that struck my funny bone. "These are not tools you buy and just stab them into the wood" (something of that nature). The problem is that when someone purchases these tools they set them for proper cutting height and have everything ready but then have no choice but to stab it into the wood and see what happens. If their lucky it cuts fine if not ??? Then their cutting fine and you're half way down a blank and get a catch - there's that darn learning curve. Learned not to do that but uh that hurt.

Be careful.

Dale
 
Dale, I hope that when I struck your funny bone, it was more of a tickle😀

I guess to be more accurate, don't buy and attempt to use a tool you nothing about until you've read the manual...wait, that has NEVER worked for Woodturning tools!😱 The manuals were never of any help to me!

For best results, seek instruction help from someone who has used the tool before.
 
Donna it was a tickle. I hope you didn't take offense, none intended. I assume by your response that you were not offended. It really did make me chuckle since we all have to go through learning curves on all tools and sometimes they really do hurt. Some tools are better to get hands on instruction. When I was being taught how to core using the straight blade without the turret I was lifted off the floor a couple of times and it did not feel very good, so I speak from experience not speculation.

Dale
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top